Silvertip Mountain kapiruk ¥

kukutux had meant to take adrastus with her, last she went. but today she could not stay away; today she would talk to the grey brother herself. dawnlight capering to nightfall and then a sun again; she came to the place where revui had been buried and breathed a low sigh.

his grave was not so seen now, covered with the debris of long months. kukutux gently moved the fallen leaves and cracked stones from the site and bent her forehead to the earth.

when she left the trader's burial place, kuktuux did not immediately return home. wanderlust and the touch of warmth beneath her skin sent her on, steps singing lightly against the stone of a curved mountain. here she found kigipigak's scent as she climbed, and, eager to see her kinsman, climbed the rock face as quickly as she was able.

the spoor of deer was heavy here — and then not at all. the acrid reeling of catgut against the stones. kukutux held still, lightly exploring the air, and crept forward on quiet paws. the man's trail was still here, and grew stronger as she slunk along the lines left in the earth. she found the round print of a cat and almost turned toward moonglow at once.

but moment and moment came together, and kukutux soon discovered, in a pool of feline musk, her companion, bleeding. she gasped and went to kigipigak quickly, lowering herself nearby and speaking into his face, his name, their tongue, trying to rouse him, and then pressing tongue to his wounds, cleaning the deep furrows and tasting the poison the cat had left in him.